As the saying goes; when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. American teenager Ashton Stark took that sentiment to heart when he was given his grandfather's 1972 Volkswagen Beetle.

Bright spark's power trip

As the saying goes; when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. American teenager Ashton Stark took that sentiment to heart when he was given his grandfather's 1972 Volkswagen Beetle.

Stark is only 14 so driving the car is out of the question. But instead of sitting idly by waiting for his chance to get behind the wheel, Stark and his father converted the car to run on an all-electric drivetrain.

The original petrol-powered engine was removed and in its place an electric motor was fitted to drive the Beetle's original driveshaft. Power comes from nine 8-volt golf cart batteries (five at the rear and four at the front), enough for 72 volts.

Stark hasn't fully tested the car yet but is confident it will be capable of covering 80 kilometres before needing a recharge.

If that wasn't studious enough, Stark says he plans to log the data from the car, including range and performance, for his high school project.